Toy



K. c. ROLIN Oct. 18,1960

T-OY

Filed Nov. 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR KENNETH 0. ROLIN AT-TORNE Y5 Oct. 18, 1960 K. c. ROLIN 2,956,369

TOY

Filed Nov. 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4

FIG. 8

INVENTOR KENNETH G. ROLIN BY BM ATTORNEYS 2,956,369 Patented Oct. 18, 1960 1 ice TOY Kenneth C. Rolin, Box 810, Lake Villa, 111.

Filed Nov. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 774,240

3 Claims. (Cl. 46-51) This invention relates to toys and has for its principal object the amusement of children and adults of all ages.

Briefly, my invention comprises an operating handle means, such as a rod, on which is supported a plurality of spaced spinners, such as rods, arranged for spinning or rotating movement normal to the axis of the handle. These spinners are mounted to be unbalanced so that movement of the operating handle means will cause swinging of the spinners. It is the intended purpose and preferred operation of my toy that these spinners swing or rotate about their support in opposite directions so that, if multi-colored balls or spheres are affixed to the ends of the spinners, there would be an appearance of being moons in orbit about their respective axes of rotation. The manner of maintaining these spinners in their rotational movement in opposite directions is by the movement of the handle, as will be explained in detail hereinafter, but it is suflicient here to note that a certain amount of dexterity is required for operating my toy. For those youngsters who have not yet acquired such dexterity, the handle could be used merely to rotate the spinners about their axes in the same direction merely by swinging the handle in a circular movement, if desired. The multi-colored spheres would still give the effect of orbital movement in this latter type of rotation.

Accordingly, a specific object of my invention is the provision of a toy having a plurality of spinner memhers rotatably mounted in an unbalanced manner on a handle means which may be operated to cause these spinners to rotate in the opposite or in the same direction, depending upon the operation of the handle member.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a toy having a plurality of spinners rotatably mounted in an unbalanced manner on a handle means and having on each end multi-colored spheres whereby movement of the handle and the spinner gives the appearance of moons orbiting about their centers as on an attraction for amusement.

I have found also that to operate my toy in the intended manner requiring the dexterity to rotate the rods in opposite directions applies principles of mechanics and could be used to teach the dynamics of rotating bodies. This latter constitutes still another object of my invention.

Other and additional objects of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and drawings forming a part hereof and wherein:

Figure 1 is a horizontal view of my invention illustrating to advantage the preferred embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a front end view of the invention illustrated in Figure 1 showing the spinners or rod-like members in an instantaneous unbalanced position;

Figure 3 is a horizontal View of still another embodiment of my invention illustrating spinners or rods of different lengths and different means for spacing the rods on the handle;

Figure 4 illustrates to advantage another manner in which the spinners may be formed;

Figure 5 illustrates still another manner in which spinners may be formed; and

Figure 6 illustrates still another form of the handle means forming part of my invention.

Turning now to the drawings and in particular to Figures 1 and 2 thereof, it can be seen that I have provided my toy with a handle means, indicated in its entirety at 10, and comprising a rod-like member formed in three lengths or pieces 11, 12 and 13 held together on an elongated pivot pin 14 which is partially imbedded in the rod 11 as at 15 and extends through the lengths 12 and 13; the latter being hollow to accommodate the pin 14. Hollow piece 12 being spaced respectively from pieces 11 and 13 serves to space a plurality of spinners or rod-like members (preferably two) indicated in their entirety as 16 and 17. Spinners 16 and 17 are bored as at 18 and 20 so as to be pivotally mounted about the pin 14 and spaced apart by the central piece 12. Piece 12 is of sufficient length to allow freedom of pivotal movement as can be appreciated.

As illustrated in these drawings, spinners 16 and 17, being apertured transverse to their main axes and not at their respective centers of gravity, are statically unbalanced and would tend to assume the position shown in Figure 1 due to the influence of gravity as can be understood. Suitable spheres or balls, such as 21, 22, 23 and 24, being located on each end of the respective spinners and of substantially equal mass, would not influence the static unbalance of these rods, as can be appreciated. 7

Turning now in more particularity to Figure 2, it can be seen that the front spinner 16 is located to the left of the vertical plane of influence of gravity so that such force due to gravity would tend to cause angular acceleration whereby rod 16 would tend to swing right. Back spinner 17, being located as shown, would similarly tend to rotate to. the left. These spinners, freely moving about their support, would act like a compound pendulum, but would soon come to rest in a vertical position were it not for additional forces being continuously added. The addition of the force at the exact time and in the exact direction forms one of the feats of dexterity and is an important feature of my invention, as will be explained.

As previously mentioned, it is highly desirable to cause the spinners to rotate in a complete circle in opposite directions continuously so that the spheres give the effect of moons orbiting about their respective centers. For example, spheres 23 and 24 could be considered in outer orbits and the spheres 21 and 22 could be considered on inner orbits, with spheres 21, 23 and spheres 22, 24 rotating in opposite directions. This feat is accomplished in substantially the following manner.

Initially, the spinners, being statically unbalanced, are each held angular to the ground as illustrated in Figure 2. In this position, the spinners would act like pendulums when released. If, at the precise time in the movement of the spinners, the handle means 10 is brought sharply and quickly down with suflicient force, which in elfect, because of the angular disposition of the centers of gravity of the rods tend to cause the rods to continue in a movement beyond their normal peak point, the spinners will make a complete orbit or circle of 360 in opposite directions. Continued movement upward and downward of the handle means, in other words the supplying of energy at precisely the right time to overcome the influence of gravity and friction of the spinners, will cause the spinners to continue to orbit. I have found, too, that if the spinners are located at a particular position, the downward movement of the handle means can be changed to a horizontal movement, but always in a plane like the initial vertical planar movement. As can be appreciated, this requires a certain amount of dexterity to maintain planar movement of the handle means while watching the orbital movemerit of the moons. On the other hand, circular movement of the handle means, while being able to maintain orbital movement of the moons will not rotate them in opposite directions-a feat that could be accomplished by those of less dexterity, such as younger children.

While thetheory of operation of my toy is complex, it is thought that since spinners act like compound pendulums with reaction forces present about their respective supported center of rotation, due to the disposition of the center of oscillation, planar movement, viz. upward and downward movement of the supports, induces forces in opposition to the reaction forces at the supports of sufficient magnitude and direction to overcome the inertia of the spinners and cause them to continue in a complete circle about their respective centers. Thus, my toy can be used as a simple experiment explaining the laws of rotating bodies, viz., the effects of the moments of the efiective forces, the kinetic reactions, the theory of balancing rotating bodies in a single transverse plane, the concepts of kinetic and static balance, centers of percussion, compound pendulums, the reactions of the supports of a rotating body, and the like.

As can be appreciated, for the purposes of my invention, the spheres such as 2124 may be variously colored and of any suitable material, such as wood or plastic, and affixed as part of the spinners in any suitable manner. The handle means 10 can be provided with spheres such as 26 and 27 of any color, of any suitable material, and afiixed to the handle in any suitable manner. Too, these spheres could be omitted if thought desirable, but I prefer to use them for the protection of children from the sharp points of the spinners and to add to the attrac tion of the toy. Obviously, while I have referred to spheres, the same could be of any geometric configuration.

As previously mentioned, the spinners could take various forms and could be made in several ways, as for example in Figure 3, the spinners 16a and 17a are axially apertured as at 18a and 20a to provide the spinners with arms of different lengths so that the centers of gravity of therespective spinners are located differently. Consequently the orbits of the multicolor balls 21a24a rotate in different orbits. Furthermore, it can be easily seen that spheres could also be used as spacers and hearing parts, as illustrated at 31 through 34, or that the spacer 12a could be omitted and the spacing accomplished by a plurality of spheres. Too, the handle could be of any length as desired.

Figure 4 illustrates a spinner, such as 16b, made out of wire material, twisted as at 35, so as to form the aperture 20b for the pivot of the spinner, as can be readily understood.

Figure 5 illustrates still another form of the spinner 160 of hollow tube of plastic, aluminum or other material with spheres 21c, 230 of any size or shape or material provided respectively with stems 36 and 37 for inserting in the ends of the tube.

Figure 6 illustrates to advantage still another form of handle means 10d where the pivot pin 14d is formed, as illustrated, so that pivot points are offset with one another. The spacer 12d is thus made in two parts to properly function as can be appreciated. Obviously, spheres such as illustrated in Figure 3 could also be used in connection with this embodiment of the handle means and the same could be made of any desired length. The

function and operation of this handle means is identical with those previously described, but it has the advantage of placing the spheres or balls in different orbits.

From the above description, it can be seen that I have provided a relatively simple device employing the dynamics of rotating bodies for the amusement of children and adults of all ages. If children cannot accomplish the rotation of the spinners in opposite directions, in the preferred method of operation of my toy, they could still enjoy my toy by causing the spinners to operate in the same direction by the mere circular movement of the handle means, held either horizontally or vertically, with circular wrist action or some such similar operation. While I have shown only a few modifications of my toy, and having understood the structure and function of my invention, it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope or spirit thereof, viz., making the spinners statically or dynamically unbalanced by using spheres, or other bodies of different mass on centrally apertured rods. My invention is defined and comprehended solely by the appended claims which should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit, and where herein the various parts of my invention have been referred to as located in a right or left, or an upper or lower, or in a front and rear position, it will be understood that this is done solely for the purpose of facilitating description and that such references relate only to the relative positions of the parts as shown in the drawings.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a handle and at least a pair of rodlike spinner members each containing an aperture extending therethrough in a direction transversely of the main axis of said member, said aperture being disposed intermediate the two ends of the respective rod-like spinner members and offset from their center of gravity, each spinner member being thus effectively separated by said aperture into two diametrically opposed arms of unequal weight, and means supported by said handle extending through said aperture of each rod-like spinner member and about which the rod-like spinner members are rotatably journalled in spaced parallel relation, whereby said rod-like spinner membersare supported in static unbalance and can be spun through oppositely directed parallel circular paths in response to reciprocating planar movements of the handle.

2. A toy comprising handle means, at least a pair of rod-like spinner members, a body carried on each of the two ends of said spinner members, said spinner members each being journalled on said handle means intermediate their two ends dividing each said members into two body carrying arms of unequal length, said spinner members being journalled to said handle means other than at their center of gravity and so as to rotate about parallel axes extending transversely of the main axes of the spinner members, and means spacing said spinner members axially of the handle means, whereby, through reciprocating planar movement of the handle means, the bodies on one said spinner member can be moved through parallel orbits about said handle means and in a direction opposite but parallel to the orbiting of bodies carried on the ends of another spinner member.

3. The toy claimed in claim .1 wherein the handle means include offset parallel portions and the spinner members are journalled on said offset portions so that the bodies carried by said spinner members orbit about out-of-coincident axes. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

